Moving Around

Just once, it would be nice to have a house where everything just fell into place; where the vision in mind just worked out in reality exactly as intended.  Sadly, Orchid Cottage definitely is not the one.  The furniture has been moved around in here dozens of times and I still haven't managed to get it right.

Upstairs in the bedroom there is currently a bed, a chest of drawers that will double as a dressing table, a writing table and chair and an armchair and embroidery table by the fire.  The hip tub and washstand I wanted to have in here are currently shuffled out.  The problem I have with this space is it just looks awkward, crowded and confused no matter how I lay it out.

The other issue is in the fabrics I've used.  They are different for every piece of furniture with clashing patterns.  I did this to try something different from my usual style but it is pretty clear why I have a usual style that does not involve mixing patterns.  Although I think the geometric purple fabric on the pillows and top of the bed actually work rather well, the large floral fabric across the foot is just wrong.  I'm not sure if it's the pattern I don't like or if I just need to use a darker coloured fabric to anchor it more.  And the everything different look - some people can pull it off and make a room look really good done that way.  I am not one of them.

One piece of furniture that has been made and installed and will not move (I hope) is the kitchen range.  This was made from balsa wood, toothpicks, scraps of cardboard and some beads.  As you can see above, it was made in two sections but I still had trouble wiggling the finished pieces into the hole in the wall created to accommodate it.

It was made using images of Victorian era ranges as a guide and includes a water tank for hot water on the left.  A yellow bucket hangs from the tap used to release the water.  Beside the water tank is a grate where coal (beads) are burning to create the heat with a hotplate above.  All down the right side are enclosed ovens.  Along the wall beside the range is a filled dresser and an icebox.  I think the ice box could use some decals or other decoration to liven it up a touch.

 Originally, I intended to have just the round table in the room to double as a kitchen workspace and dining table, but at some point in my indecisive re-arranging I decided to add a second table for the kitchen and reserve the round table for dining.  The kitchen work table was quickly knocked together using balsa wood and some turned posts.  I like the kitchen half of the room with this new table but the living half of the room is still wrong.

Again, the fabrics used on the sofa aren't working but mostly the layout of the furniture just doesn't look right.  I'm thinking I might put in a fireplace somewhere are this end of the room but I want to be sure I like how the furniture will be laid out before I do anything so permanent.

In the ToM bathroom, I've finally filled the bath tub and because it is the Tower of Magic I decided to add a mermaid

Her top half is a cheap porcelain ballerina doll whose legs were chopped off while her tail is a cone of purple fabric stuffed with fill and a length of wire to make the tail bendable.  Purple fantasy film was used to create the fin at the end of her tail.  The tub is filled with glass marbles.  Over the marbles is a layer of Scenic Water treated to create the effect of bubbles.  I make these bubbles by firstly putting some detergent in a jar with a little water and shaking vigorously to make foam.  The foam is left to stand while I heat and melt the Scenic Water.  The water in the jar will collect in the bottom once it's been standing for a while and the water can then be tipped out leaving just the foam behind.  I then add some melted Scenic Water to the jar and shake again so the Scenic Water coats the bubbly foam.  This was then spooned out into the tub and squirted into the harder to reach places with a large nosed syringe.

Before doing this I reduced the size of the tub as I had reached the conclusion what I had was too big for the space.  Unfortunately, what I left myself with now looks far too puny.  So I'm going back to plan A . . .

  . . . Which was to have a step around the bottom of the tub.  This is the original step cut for the larger tub so it needs to be reduced a little as well.  And now I'm wondering if I should bring the over-tub canopy back again too . . . .

Finally, a few weeks ago I complained about the size of a 12th scale hip tub I'd bought online.  To further illustrate this complaint, here is the new tub beside the larger 12th scale tub I've had for years.  These were both sold as 12th scale, yet they are totally different sizes.  Even in the 'big' tub it would be hard for an adult to fit themselves and some water in at the same time, the the 'little' tub, no chance.  If you are in the market for a hip tub like this, please be very careful to check exactly what size it is even if it is sold as 12th scale!